How Tim Overcame His Fears and Separation Anxiety!

We've been back to see Tim for his second session.  Tim is a nervous pointer who originally did some of our puppy classes. He reacted quite badly towards other dogs and wouldn’t really take food when he was outside. He was also quite stressed just being outside.

During the first session, we got rid of the food bowl and started feeding him only outside on walks, in an environment where he was calm, comfortable, and away from distractions. We also began some counter-conditioning during these walks. Tim is very happy to train outside, take food, engage with his owners, and loves training while outside. He no longer barks at other dogs. His owners have even been able to go to cafes without him reacting at all—and this was just after the first session!

In this second session, we focused more on his separation anxiety. Before, the owners couldn't leave the room without Tim following—he was a bit of a velcro dog. If he thought you were heading towards the stairs to go out the front door, he would follow and start getting stressed. We implemented the no-follow rule, and now the owners can move around without being followed, and they can get out the front door while Tim stays put, without any stress.

Tim is doing really well! We’ll be catching up with him in a couple of weeks to further improve his separation anxiety. Well done to Tim and his owners—you’ve all done fantastic!

If this case sounds like your dog and you are having a similar issue, or a different issue entirely, book a FREE assessment call with us by clicking HERE